Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me” –Carol Burnett. The twentieth century dramatist Ama Ata Aidoo perfectly fits this quote; as she really did change the society and people’ mentalities through her writings. Her voice depicts concerns over many social and political issues at the Ghanaian society. She stated repeated concerns for the dilemma of womanhood in Ghanaian culture at her time; she endowed the female characters in her literary works with strong wills and distinct personalities. Although she wants to prove her identity in her writings, she as well helps to expose the exploitation and disenfranchisement of women from the essence of their own identities.
In “Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral” Aido describes women who bravely survive despite of the obstacles in the neo-colonial Ghanaian society. For the majority of her female characters independence has brought no relief and has in fact only increased the difficulties they face; this is exactly what happened to Aunt Araba or “the good woman who does not rot” She was given a part of her independence and was sent to live with a relative, as a consequence; she got pregnant without being married.
Survival is the driving and divine force thorough out the story as even after she got pregnant without marriage and in the face of this tremendous troubles, Araba did not surrender nor even weakened. Instead she even got stronger “She returned home to her mother, she was looking like a ram from the north. Big, beautiful and strong” This does not only prove how strong Aunt Araba was, but also proves that she was stand-still in the face of all the storms; like when she was facing the debts because the village people will not waste their money buying her marvelous sweeties who did not satisfy the stomach but surely satisfied the tongue. Instead of surrendering to the debts and poverty, she...